Indo-West Pacific: Somalia and South Africa to Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Except for Japan, China, and Korea, most distribution records for Epinephelus septemfasciatus are probably based on this species. Reported as Epinephelus compressus by Postel et al. (Ref. 6453).

Craig, M.T. and P.A. Hastings, 2007. A molecular phylogeny of the groupers of the subfamily Epinephelinae (Serranidae) with revised classification of the epinephelini. Ichthyol. Res. 54:1-17. (Ref. 83414)